Nozzle for air placement of cementitious materials



March 5 G. M. PRO 2,785,014

' NOZZLE FOR AIR PLACEMENT 0F CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS Filed July 5, 1955 7 I I E I" u INVENTOR. @eor e M Pm Arm/WE;

United States Patient NOZZLE FOR AIR PLACEMENT OF CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS George M. Pro, Leawood, Kans., assignor to Air Placement Equipment Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application July 5, 1955, Serial No. 519,928 10 Claims. (Cl. 299-140) This invention relates to improvements in nozzles for receiving cementitious materials carried therethrough by high velocity compressed air, the primary object being to provide novel means for adding a fine spray of water to the material as it passes through the nozzle whereby the same is properly hydrated before application.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a nozzle of the aforementioned character with a novel control for producing a high velocity fine spray of water not only during high volumes of flow, but when such volume of water flow is relatively low.

In conventional nozzles of the kind to which the present invention pertains and wherein is conventionally provided means for directing water to the cementitious materials as the same are carried through the nozzle by high velocity compressed air, closing of the water control valve to decrease the water flow results in a consequent decrease in pressure. Since such low volume Water flows into the nozzle slowly, the material passing therethrough i not properly hydrated and therefore, it is the object of this invention to maintain a high velocity spray therewithin regardless of the position of the control valve for determining the volume of water flow.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide nozzle structure having a reciprocable element mounted within the hollow body forming a part of the nozzle for movement toward and away from a seated position and having means for causing the same to open automatically as water pressure is directed thereto on opposite sides thereof.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a control element in having opposed surfaces of unequal area whereby, when equalized pressure is directed to such surfaces, the slidable element will progressively move away from its seat and, therefore, always maintain a high velocity spray as the volume of the water is increased or decreased.

Other objects include important details of construction to be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a nozzle for air placement of cementitious materials made according to my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal cross-sectional view through the nozzle shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 2; and I Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, cross sectional view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating more clearly the seating relationship between the control element and its seat.

The nozzle shown in the drawing is adapted for air placement of cementitious materials and includes a body releasably receiving at one end thereof an elongated,

frusto-conical sleeve 12 by means of interrneshing threads 14. The opposite end of the body 10 releasably receives a nozzle head coupling 16 by means of intermeshing threads 18, the coupling 16 in turn receiving a material hose 20 and maintaining the same in place through use of fasteners 22. A nozzle liner 24 preferably made from rubber or the like is telescoped within the sleeve 12 and provided with a continuous out-turned annular flange 26 interposed between the innermost end of the sleeve 12 and an annular retainer 28 within the body 10.

Retainer 28 is in turn provided with a continuous outturned flange 30 that is clamped against an inturned shoulder 32 when the sleeve 12 is threaded into the body 10. Retainer 28 is provided with an O-ring seal 34 that surrounds a tubular element 36 within the body It and the latter is in turn provided with an O-ring seal 38 that surrounds the retainer 28. It is to be noted that the inside diameters of the liner 24 and the element 36 are substantially the same and, therefore, the outermost end of the element 36 normally bears against the innermost end of the liner 24.

Element 36 is provided with a continuous, out-turned flange 40 that is slidable in the body ltl toward and away from an annular inturned projection 42 within the body 10 and forming a part thereof. An O-ring seal 44 carried by the body 10 therewithin, surrounds the flange it). There is, therefore, presented a pair of continuous annular chambers 46 and 48 within the body 10 and around the element 36, one on each side respectively of the flange 40. Chamber 46 is closed at all times and the chamber 48 is closed whenever the innermost end 59 of element 36 bears against seat 52 of the projection 42.

It is to be noted, as best seen in Fig. 5, and for purposes hereinafter to be more fully described, that the end 50 of element 36 is arcuate and that only a portion thereof bears against the seat 52 since the latter is beveled or inclined inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the nozzle and in the direction of the outlet end thereof. Hose 20 has an inside diameter that is less than the diameter of opening 54 through the projection 42 and is clamped thereagainst when the coupling 16 is threaded into the body 10.

Water under pressure is directed to the chamber 48 by a main conduit 56 entering by way of orifice 5 8 and is directed to the chamber 46 by means of a branch conduit 60 that couples with the conduit 56. A manually controlled valve 62 is interposed in the conduit 56 between the body 10 and the branch 6t).

It is obvious that when the valve 62 is closed, water pressure in the conduit 56 and therefore, in the conduit 61), applied to the radial surfaces of the flange 40 within the chamber 46, will maintain the element 36 closed with the end 50 thereof bearing against the seat 52. However, as soon as the valve 62 is opened, pressure upon the oppo site radial surface of flange 40 within the chamber 48, will tend to shift the element 36 to the left, viewing Fig. 2, toward the outlet end of the nozzzle.

The surfaces of the element 36 which are responsive to the fluid pressure are greater in area however in the chair.- ber 48 because of the fact that a portion of the end 59 of the element 36 is exposed to the fluid pressure in the chamber 48. Consequently, since there is: only a slight drop in pressure as the water enters the chamber 48, the element 36 will be gradually and progressively shifted to the left, viewing Fig. 2, as the volume of water increases upon opening the valve 62. In other Words, as the volume increases, the space between end 50 and seat 52 gradually increases, but at all times, irrespective of such volume, there is a high velocity flow in the form of a spray along the seat 52 and inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the nozzle for proper and thorough hydration of the cementitious material being blown therethrough.

The liner 24 provides a yieldable bias tending to maintain the element 36 closed, but the increased surface area at the end 50 is suflicient to open the element 36 in response to fluid pressure entering the chamber 48 by way of orifice 53.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a tubular, material-receiving body having a seat therewithin; an element reciprocable in the body toward and away from said seat, said element having opposed surfaces disposed to shift the same in opposite directions upon direction of fluid pressure thereto; and means for directing a fluid with equal pressure to said surfaces, the area of the surface proximal to said seat being greater than the area of the other of said surfaces whereby the element shifts in response to changes in the volume of said fluid, said element being tubular for flow of said material therethrough and admixture with fluid entering the body when the element is spaced from the seat.

2. in a device as set forth in claim 1 wherein is provided a retainer in the body spaced from the seat, said element having one end thereof normally engaging the seat and being slidable in the retainer adjacent its opposite end.

3. in a device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said element has an external flange slidable in the body toward and away from the seat, presenting fluid-receiving chambers on opposite sides of the flange.

4. in the invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein one end of the element normally engages the seat, a portion of said one end being exposed to fluid pressure when engaging the seat.

5. In a nozzle for air placement of cementitious material having means for admixing a fluid with said material, a tubular body having a material inlet end and an outlet end; an annular retainer in said body; an annular seat in the body between said inlet end and said retainer and spaced from the latter; an element in the body having one end thereof normally engaging said seat, said element being slidably telescoped in the retainer adjacent the opposite end thereof for reciprocable movement toward and away from the seat, and having opposed surfaces disposed to shift the same in opposite directions upon direction of fluid pressure thereto; and means for directing said fluid with equal pressure to said surfaces, the area of the surface proximal to said seat being greater than the area of the other of said surfaces whereby the element shifts toward and away from said seat in response to changes in the volume of said fluid, said element being tubular for flow of said material therethrough and admixture with fluid entering the body when the element is spaced from the seat.

6. In a nozzle for air placement of cementitious material having means for admixing a fluid with said material, a tubular body having a material inlet end and an outlet end; an annular retainer in said body; an annular seat in the body between said inlet end and said retainer and spaced from the latter; an element in the body'having one end thereof normally engaging said seat, said element being slidably telescoped in the retainer adjacent the opposite end thereof for reciprocable movement'toward and away from the seat; an external flange surrounding the element and slidable in the body between said seat and said retainer, presenting fluid-receiving chambers on opposite sides of the flange, said element having opposed surfaces disposed to shift the same in opposite directions upon direction of fluid pressure thereto; and means for directing said fluid with equal pressure into said chambers and to said surfaces, the area of the surface proximal to said seat being greater than the area of the other of said surfaces whereby the element shifts toward and away from said seat in response to changes in the volume of said fluid, said element being tubular for flow of said material therethrough and admixture with fluid entering the body when the element is spaced from the seat.

7. In the invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said one end of the element has a portion exposed to fluid pressure when engaging the seat.

8. In the invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein is provided resilient means in the body between said opposite end of the element and said outlet end of the body for yieldably holding the element biased toward the seat.

9. In the invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means for directing fluid into said chambers comprises a main conduit communicating with the chamber proximal to the seat and a branch conduit interconnecting the main conduit and the other chamber.

10. In the invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein is provided a control valve in the main conduit between the body and the branch conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,153,132 Pettitt Sept. 7, 1915 1,507,773 Hamm Sept. 9, 1924 1,562,194 Schaefer Nov. 17, 1925 2,634,754 Rahn Apr. 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 684,397 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1952 

